World in Chaos
by tomatofrommars
Summary: Alek and Deryn's story takes place during WWII. Alek runs from Austria to escape the Nazis, he is being protected and is supposed to go into hiding. While running away Alek and friends are attacked by the Nazis and badly hurt. He is discovered/saved by the crew of the Leviathan. For the rest you'll have to read. This is my first fic, so please bare with me! There may be plot holes.


He was awoken with a shake. "Get up, we need to go, now."

Alek's eyes shot open, he was faced with almost pitch black darkness. As his eyes adjusted to the light he soon saw Count Volger standing at his bed with clothes. "Get dressed quickly, your highness."

Alek, still confused, wearily looked at Volger and the clothes. Then Volger took out a small hand gun and waved it. "Go on. Change. Now."

Alek obeyed. He was still confused but answers would come soon enough, at least he hoped. The clothes were terribly plain, a white button down shirt, a pair of pants, a pair of suspenders, and a leather coat. He slipped the clothes on quickly, not taking the time to put the coat on, he simply slipped it over his shoulders.

Volger pointed the gun towards the hall. He also put a finger over his mouth, suggesting the Alek should stay quiet. He obeyed and walked down the hall way to the courtyard. Once in the courtyard he was led through the shadows, into the woods. After walking in silence, with a gun to his back, no less, they approached a clearing. In the clearing stood a walker. "Get in, Alek."

Alek climbed into the walker and sat in the chair that Volger motioned to. Volger put away his gun, so Alek decided now would be the appropriate time to begin asking questions. "Where are we going?"

"None of your concern until we get there."

"You're taking me away somewhere."

"Yes."

"You're a Nazi."

"I never said that."

"You never said you weren't either."

"…"

The walker started to move, Klopp was piloting it.

"You're going to kill me, aren't you?"

"Not if you shut up and let us get away."

"I am right! You're trying to take me to Germany. Well, you won't, I'll alert the guards." Alek stood up and started toward the controls, reaching the pull the cord for the whistle. But Volger saw what he was trying to do and grabbed Alek, pulling him away. Alek struggled against Volger's grip and kicked a scratched him, if only he has is saber or a gun, he would be able to stop Volger then without a problem. Without either tool, Alek was clearly the weaker one, and was slammed against one of the walls in the walker by Volger, and while Alek was dazed he pulled a cloth out of his coat. Coming out of his daze, Alek saw the cloth, realizing what was happening, he tried to move his head, squirm away, but Volger got the cloth over his mouth and nose. Alek tried not to breath but couldn't help it. He inhaled and his vision began to blur, his thoughts began to fuzz, and everything went black.

* * *

He awoke on the floor with a warm blanket over him, and a pillow under his head, though his hands were tied. He couldn't believe Volger. The man had been part of his life for as long as he could remember, Volger had never favored him, but he was certainly loyal, as was Klopp. If this was a plot to kill him, how could he have gotten the other loyal men to agree to help? What would be accomplished by capturing the Prince of Austria anyway? The country was hardly what it used to be before the Great War, what could possibly be achieved by this? The most confusing part of the whole thing was that Volger had previously expressed his distaste for the Nazis.

He sat up and looked around the walker. The light of the setting sun was peaking through the trees. How long had he been unconscious? Volger was talking in a hushed voice with Klopp. Volger turned and saw that Alek had sat up and walked over. "Good morning sleeping beauty, it's about time you woke up."

"I won't have been asleep in the first place if it wasn't for you."

"That's true, but I couldn't have you blowing our cover. Now, get up you need to pilot for a while, Klopp and I need to talk. Don't think bother trying sound an alarm or anything, there isn't anyone around for kilometers, just go west."

"Well, I'd like to know what's going on first, and with my hands tied together I can't really pilot can I?"

"Right, well, sorry about that, but it was necessary to do in case you woke up feeling violent, as you did earlier. I am not a Nazi. We are running from them since Italy has refused to protect us from Germany any longer, and if the Germans do come and concur, you will probably either be turned into a puppet or killed. We're going to Switzerland. It's the safest and closest place to go. Your father gave me specific instructions on where to go," Volger kneeled down, "Don't punch me now," he untied the rope around Alek's wrists. Alek rubbed his sore wrists and looked at Volger for a moment, taking in everything that was happening. What would become of his mother and father? He tried to push it out of his mind and stood up, and went to pilot the walker. There was something so wonderful about the feeling of the saunters in his hands. His worry almost immediately lulled by the whir of the machine in his hands.

They continued travelling for many days, sleeping during the day and traveling by night. On the 14th day the oil they had brought had begun to run out, all they had left was the little that remained in the tank, and in the cold of winter it would be very difficult to warm up the engine if it were to run out of fuel and stop. Volger and Klopp decided they would go into a nearby town while Braur and Hoffman stayed at the walker with Alek.

Two hours later Volger and Klopp came running back. "We need to leave this moment."

"What's going on?"

"We've been spotted, get in, we need to go." They all climbed in the walker and were on the move. Klopp piloted, Volger sat in the commander's chair, and Hoffman and Braur manned the guns.

"Alek stay in the back, out of view, they can't know you're here."

"Who? What's happening?"

"Some Nazis were in that town, they spotted us because this idiot," he gestured to Klopp, "forgot to wear a coat without the royal crest on it. They spotted us and chased us here, they'll certainly catch up soon." As Volger finished the Germans approached from the back. They began shooting sticking phosphorus, lighting the walker on fire.

"We have to put out that fire, I'll go out…" Alek grabbed a saber and started to head out of the walker.

"No! They can't know…" Volger started, but Alek had already exited. He began hacking at the gooey substance over heating the walker. Bullets raced past him as he worked on removing the phosphorus. One hit him in the shoulder, he cried out but continued, struggling with the sticky fire. It finally stuck to the sword, Alek then through the sword away at the Germans, lighting of them on fire. As he watched the German go up in flame, two more blobs of phosphorus were shot at the walker, both hitting. Alek went back into the walker, cradling his injured arm with his other arm. The blood was soaking through his shirt sleeve and coat.

"It's no use," Alek shook his head, "they're going to get us. If the fire gets to the engine, we're done." Volger came over and gave Alek no hint on his emotion.

"Look what happened. Foolish. We're as good as dead anyway I supposed. Here." Volger ripped part of his sleeve off and made a makeshift sling for Alek's arm.

As Alek slipped his arm into the sling Klopp exclaimed, "The engine, she's too hot, we're going to blow soon unless we can find a way to cool the engine down!"

"Klopp, do we have any water left?"

"Some, that might work for the time being."

Volger grabbed two water canteens and went outside. After a few minutes he came in. It was no good, the water was ineffective, the phosphorus fire kept burning. The temperature of the engine continued to rise.

"Well, men, Prince Aleksander, it seems we are at the end. We can either give ourselves up, and most likely be shot, or we can face the blast, it is up to you, but I chose to die nobly." He then placed a helmet on Alek's head and a thick leather coat over his shoulders.

"If one of us is to live, let it be you, your highness." He gave a slight smile and patted Alek on the shoulder. Alek winced, it was his hurt shoulder. He then pushed Alek to stand the farthest from engine.

Then the walker began to shake violently. The engine blew, fire engulfed the inside of the walker and Alek was launched out of the machine. He landed on his hurt arm and screamed in pain. The Germans were too busy with the walker to notice him though. He stumbled onto his feet, his pants were ripped and burnt, a shard of something was sticking from his leg, and blood trailed down his forehead and into his eyes. But he didn't care, the adrenaline kicked in, and he stumble-ran into the forest. He heard gun shots in the distance, but kept running. He ran for a good 10 minutes until the pain started setting in and the adrenaline started wearing off. His vision began to blur and he stumbled to the ground. He groaned as he hit the ground. The last thing he saw through his blurred vision were two soldiers and the strangest dogs he had ever seen.


End file.
